Common or potential faults associated with the French & Italian range.

Having worked with our chosen marques for quite some time now, it stands to reason that we have come across a whole plethora of faults, failures and potential automotive hiccups. Sometimes they are quite clearly due to a lack of maintenance. Others are due to poor design. Then there is just bad luck.

Here follows a list (in no particular order) of some of the more common occurrences we have encountered. Included are our comments and/or opinions as to how 'we' have dealt with the situation or believe would or could be an effective solution. Our ramblings are by no means a substitute for competent professional diagnosis and should be regarded as bodhi for interested parties.

To aid searching for a particular problem, try using the site search box. Enter key words such as 206 MISFIRE

Clutch Down – BANG, Clutch Pedal Sits on the Floor

Thursday, 12 January 2017 | Stu

Affecting: Xantia & ZX

The dreaded clutch cable clip, which when it goes can leave you stranded. Citroens often have small nylon clips that hold the clutch pedal onto the end of the cable. The original routing of the clutch cable also often means that it is close to the exhaust, causing the cable to dry out and go stiff over time. The increase in pressure on the pedal (heavy clutch) causes the clips to deteriorate, and eventually breaks leaving you unable to depress the clutch or select any gears. If this happens in an awkward place, drop the car into first or second gear, and drive it on the starter-motor onto the pavement and off the road until you can be recovered (this fault cannot be repaired by the road-side). Replacing the clip is a fiddly job and it’s also important to check why the failure occurred in the first place (in some cases worn clutches can cause the entire mechanism to become stiff, though usually it’s down to a dry or failing cable). Replacing the clip is not a job for the faint-hearted as access is difficult, so if this happens to you, I recommend you give eurocarcare a call!. *note by eurocarcare - we actually employ a technician with 3 elbows and 9 fingers on each hand expressly for the purpose